Guide for a swordless coal plough



July 22, 1969 c. RAssMANN GUIDE FOR A SWORDLESS COAL PLOUGH Filed Jan.1l, 1968 /NVENoR v cHmsmPH nAssMANN ATTO /VEYJ United States Patent Ov3,456,983 GUIDE FOR A SWORDLESS COAL PLOUGH Christoph Rassmann, Lunen,Westphalia, Germany, as-

signor to Gewerkschaft Eisenhtte Westfalia, Wethmar, near Lunen,Westphalia, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Jan. 11, 1968, Ser.No. 697,073 Claims priority, application Germany, Apr. 1, 1967,

Int. ci. Ein: 9/00 U.S. Cl. 299-34 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF 'IHE DISCLOSUREThis invention relates to coal ploughs. It more particularly refers tosuch a coal plough `which is chain driven and which has a guide rail anda conveying means associated therewith.

Coal ploughs are known which are chain-driven along a guide rail. Theguide rail bears with its outer edge on the mine oor and on the coalface and forms a covering for a passage in which the chain which pullsthe plough passes. Usually, there are two passages, a lower passagewhich guides the positive pulling chain, and an upper passage whichguides the return run, the two chain passages being separated from oneanother by distance pieces or spacers. The passages are usually coveredby a hoodtype plate on the coal face side, which plate is connectablethrough and with the distance piece by means of bolts or screws whichjoin the conveying means, the distance pieces and the hood.

In such a coal plough, it is known to clamp the upper chain passagecover detachably to the distance piece by means of the screws or boltswhich engage through the distance piece. The lower chain passage, whichguides the pulling run of chain, is formed by the portion of the guiderail resting on the mine floor, which is appropriately bent into analmost closed tubular guide. In such a plough guidance system, oneparticular disadvantage which is readily apparent is that the pullingchain is not easily accessible for location and repair of chain breakageor the like. In order to get at the lower pulling run chain, it has beennecessary, rstly, to open the upper chain passage in order to permitaccess to the lower chain passage. Then, after release of the screwwhich connects the chain passages with the conveying means, the lowerpassage Abecomes accessible.

In a plough, the sword of which engages beneath the conveying means overits whole width and which is guided on the goaf side with a guide rod ina chain passage, it is further known to cover the chain passages on thegoaf side by detachable flaps.

These passages serve only to conduct the pulling and return runs of thechain; they do not serve directly to guide the plough body.

It is an object of this invention to develop a guide for a plough of thetype described in which the tilting and thrust forces, which act uponthe guide on the coal face side in the case of swordless construction ofthe plough, are transmitted to the guide so that despite the requisitePatented July 22, 1969 ICC movement, the largest possible bearingsurfaces are provided between plough and plough guide. Another object isto provide a plough guide adapted to house chain drive passages soconstructed as to provide good accessibility to both chain passages,whereby tting, dismantling or repair of the chain is readily possible.

Other and additional objects of this invention will become apparent uponconsideration of this entire specification, including the claims anddrawing hereof.

In accord with and fulfilling these objects, one aspect of thisinvention resides in a guide for a plough of the type described above,wherein the mine-face directed hood or cover for the chain passages isarticulatably hinged to the back plate of the guide means along the tophereof.

The hinge is formed as a tubular guide rail for the plough, extendingover the length of the working range of the plough.

This tube-type guide rail, to a certain extent, constitutes the upperenclosure of the upper chain passage, so that the plough can rest on it.At the same time, the plough can grip over this guide rail with anextension directed towards the goat` side, and thus is non-tiltablyguided. The formation of this guide rail as a hinge renders it possiblenow for the cover plate to be turned over completely to the goaf side,so that both the upper and the lower chain passages are exposed. Topermit hinged articulation, it is only necessary to first release theouter nuts from connecting .bolts or screws and then carry out the hingemovement. Because of the hinge, no parts are taken off the guide toexpose the chain passages and, in contrast to known devices, it is alsonot necessary to withdraw the cover plate over the threading of theconnecting bolts. Therefore, these threads are not damaged by suchremoval since the cover plate is xed in its position yby the hinge.

According to a further aspect of this invention, the lower chain passageis covered on the mine face side thereof by a tube extending over theworking range of the plough. This tube is advantageously adapted to takeup the forces occurring in the region of the guide blocks.

In development of the invention, the hinge bolt of the tubular guiderail can be made fast by means of a clamping sleeve. In this case, twoopposite openings are provided in the wall of the tubular guide rail toreceive a clamping sleeve. One of the openings is circular, and theother is an elongated hole. If the clamping sleeve has been driven inthrough the guide tube in the direction towards the elongated hole by anamount corresponding at least to the thickness of the Wall of the gianttube, the hinge bolt can be displaced so far in an axial direction thatthe entire covering hood can be removed should the need of such removalarise. This development of the invention facilitatesthe installation andrepair of the device.

Furthermore, it is advantageous to provide a web plate attached to thecover plate on the side thereof directed away from the mine face in thevicinity of the bolt and the distance pieces. The web plate is furtherattached to the lower tube referred to above and serves both as abending-resistant connection between the cover plate and the lower tubeand as a means for the connection of the cover plate with the distancepiece. For this purpose, according to a further feature of theinvention, the web plate possesses bores adapted to engage a taperedwasher which Washer acts to center the connecting screw or bolt.

The invention will be further explained with reference to the drawing inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation partially in section through the guideaccording to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a front view of the cover plate, seen from the coal face.

Referring now to the drawing, a plough is shown fastened to a conveyor26 and to a plough guide. The lower part of the plough guide comprises arail 2, which bears with its outer edge 3 on a mine lloor 4 and on acoal face 5. A chain passage 7 is shown, containing a pulling run ofchain 6 and a chain passage 9 is shown contaming a return run of chain8. Distance pieces r spacers 10 are provided between the two chainpassages, which distance pieces are attached, by bolts 12, both with theplough guide and with the conveyor 26. A hood like plate 11 is providedon the coal face side of the plough guide. The plate 11 has, at itslower outer edge, a tube 17 and, at its upper outer edge, a tubularguide rail 15. The upper guide rail is hinge 14 and has a plate 13articulated therefrom which forms the goat-side enclosure of the chainpassages 7 and 9.

The individual sections of the cover plates 11 are connected by hingebolts 16 which can be made fast by clamping sleeves 18. The clampingsleeves here engage through a circular opening 20 provided in a wall 19of the guide rail and an opening 21, formed as an elongated hole, whichlies opposite to this circular opening 20.

In order to obtain -access to the chain passages 7 and 9, it is merelynecessary to release the outer nut 27 and hinge the cover plate 11upwards. If such a cover plate is to be removed completely, it is onlynecessary to drive the clamping sleeve 18 inwards by the wall thicknessof the tube 1'5 and to shift the hinge bolt 16 in the elongated hole-until the cover plate is removable.

For reinforcement of the tube 17 and for connection of the cover plate11 to the distance piece 10, web plates 22 with bores 23 are provided inwhich there are positioned compensating washers 24 which center theconnection bolts 12. These compensating washers 24 are provided with acentering taper 25.

What is claimed is:

1. In a coal plough assembly having a coal plough means and a guide railassembly operatively associated therewith, which guide rail assemblycontains two passages therein adapted to house pulling and return runchain means respectively, which pulling run chain means is operativelyconnected to said plough means; the improvement which comprisesproviding said return run chain passage above the pulling run chainpassage and said hinge/guide rail extends the length of said ploughmeans.

5. The improved assembly claimed in claim 1, including hinge bolt meansassociated with said hinge/guide rail and clamping sleeve means adaptedto make said hinge bolt means fast.

6. The improved assembly claimed in claim 5 wherein two oppositeopenings are provided in said hinge/ guide rail, one of which issubstantially circular, and the other of which is elongated.

7. The improved assembly claimed in claim 1, wherein said passages areseparated by spacer means, which spacer means is bolted to said coverplate.

8. The improved assembly claimed in claim 7 wherein said cover plate hasweb plate means affixed thereto abutting said spacer means and is boltedthereto.

9. The improved assembly claimed in claim 8, including conveyor meansbolted to said web plate means through said spacer means.

10. The improved assembly claimed in claim 8, wherein said web plate hasapertures therein aligned with bolt means and including tapered washermeans associated with said apertures and said `bolt means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,305,269 2/ 1967 Lobbe et al299-34 3,363,946 1/ 1968 Willner et al. 299-43 ERNEST R. PURSER, PrimaryExaminer

